Maryland Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
- For the Crab Cakes:
- 2 large eggs
- 2-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup finely diced celery, from one stalk
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 pound lump crab meat (see note below)
- 1/2 cup panko
- Vegetable or canola oil, for cooking
- For the Quick Tartar Sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
- 1-1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced red onion
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
For the Crab Cakes:
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
- Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 cakes (each about ½ cup) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This helps them set.
- Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and coat with oil. When the oil is hot, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve the crab cakes warm with the tartar sauce.
For the Quick Tartar Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, onion, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Make-Ahead Instructions: The crab cakes can be formed, covered, and refrigerated a day ahead of time before cooking. The tartar sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.
Note: If you can only find jumbo lump crab meat, you may need to break the pieces up a bit. If the clumps are too large, the crab cakes won’t hold together well.
© Recipe courtesy of Jenn Segal of Once Upon a Chef.
JANUARY WINE CLUB:
Raised by Wolves
777 Chardonnay
Piekenierskloof, South Africa
RICH WINE STYLE
The Cape is generally regarded as a hot viticultural region. Fortunately, there are some cool mesoclimates to be found close to the ocean or at higher altitudes. With high altitude generally comes a more continental climate, and so it is with this Piekenierskloof Chardonnay, grown between 700 and 800 meters above sea level on the Sandveld plateau bordering the Olifants river.
The 777 Chardonnay is whole bunch pressed, settled overnight without the use of enzymes, and then racked straight to barrel for uninoculated fermentation.
After maturing for 9 months in 228L Burgundian pieces, the Chardonnay was cleanly racked and bottled.
Appellation: Western Cape, Citrusdal Mountain, Olifants River Valley, Piekenierskloof Ward
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Analysis: 13.69% alcohol / volume
Residual Sugar: 2.1 g/L
VA: 0.54 g/L
pH: 3.33
TA: 5.3 g/L
SO₂: 13/72 ppm
Bottled: 8/10/2018
Grower: Shelley Sandell
ABOUT RAISED BY WOLVES:
Raised by Wolves is a project by Adam Mason, leading Wine Industry Specialist. Adam’s wines are produced in limited quantities, and are made from a selection of unique vineyards from his travels around the cape. He has showcased how interesting and rare the Cape’s vineyards can be; these small batch, experimental wines have transformed the Cape into one of the more dynamic regions in the world.
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